How to find Australia's Rarest Bird...

September 2017

"One of the Holy Grails, one of the world's rarest species probably..." - Philippa Horton, South Australian Museum.​The Night Parrot has been the inspiration of Australian avian legend for more than a century. Dubbed by some, as the world's most mysterious bird, the cryptic, (untwitchable), elusory and rare Australian endemic known (or unknown) to science, has remained virtually undetected since its initial discovery in 1845. Plagued, like many Australia natives, by the catastrophe of feral cats, the Night Parrot became a thing of almost mythical proportions as it seemingly disappeared from the surrounding country as cat numbers exploded in the mid 19th century. So rare was this enigmatic bird, well-known entrepreneur (and founder of Australian Geographic), Dick Smith offered a hefty $25,000 reward to anyone who could find a Night Parrot, "dead or alive" in 1989. Only a year later this prize was claimed, when Walter Boles and Wayne Longmore of the Australian Museum, pulled over on a roadside near Boulia (Western Queensland), to famously answering a call of nature, and by total chance, stumbled upon a deceased specimen. A further 16 years later, a headless Night Parrot was found less than 200km from this same spot suggesting that a secret population of this mythical species still existed in the region. Enter John Young...

In 2013, renowned Australian naturalist John Young discovered the first live Night Parrot in over 150 years. Not only that, but he made monumental ornithological history by photographing and videoing the first live bird in history. This incredible discovery rocked both birders and ornithologists alike from all around the world. It was a seven-year expedition (beginning in 2006) that took Young into the very heart of the outback - coercing the deep, rugged and scorched plains western Queensland until finally one night, he had his triumph.

The legendary Night Parrot

Pullen Pullen Reserve - QLD

Since then, the Night Parrot has continued to mark some impressive and important milestones. The original site of John's discovery has been purchased by Bush Heritage Australia, in an effort to protect and ensure the future of this species. This site (now known as Pullen Pullen Reserve) is now managed by a team of researchers including the now renowned Steve Murphy who had the privilege of in fact capturing a live Night Parrot back in 2015. Perhaps most spectacularly was the rediscovery of Night Parrot in Western Australia (currently undisclosed location) by a group of birders (Adrian Boyle, Nigel Jackett, George Swann & Bruce Greatwich) from WA in March earlier this year (2017). Coinciding this, was the recording of a possible Night Parrot in the Northern Territory by well-regarded naturalist and wildlife guide Mark Carter and Melbourne-based zoologist Chris Watson. However this record, as far as I can tell, remains inconclusive.

So with Night Parrot seemingly popping up everywhere, where was going to be next? Well, John Young has once again led the way and made a monumental Night Parrot discovery at Lake Eyre of South Australia.

Just over four years post his first groundbreaking discovery, Young (in partnership with the Australian Wildlife Conservancy) has found conclusive proof of the Night Parrot occurring in northern South Australia at the well-known endorheic lake known as Kat Thanda-Lake Eyre (approximately 700km/435mi north of Adelaide). This, like many discoveries, has been the first for its state and region for over a century. More so, this discovery is particularly impressive due to the difference in habitat compared to the findings in Queensland and Western Australia. Young first discovered the Night Parrot on a remote grazing property made up of sparsely vegetated gibber country, interspersed with old-growth spinifex, rocky ridges and a combination denser vegetation in gullies. This time the sighting has been made in samphire habitat which is a type of succulent halophytes that are closely associated with water bodies.

Night Parrot - Pulled Pullen Reserve (QLD)

Night Parrot - (WA)

So what led John and the AWC team to Lake Eyre? Looking at historical records, there were a number of observations in similar samphire habitat near Lake Eyre in 1883. This encouraged the team to set up a number of camera traps in the region, eventually capturing a blurry, but highly promising, snapshot of a bird they believed to be a Night Parrot. This encouraged the team to start planning a dedicated search into one of the countries most inaccessible and trying regions.

Let's get down to the gritty - how does one specifically find one (or discover?) of the world's rarest and most elusive birds? John (aided by Keith Bellchambers of the AWC) uses a tried and tested technique he implemented heavily upon his first quest in SW Queensland. This involved identifying an anticipated area which had a number of Wedge-tailed Eagle's nest contiguous to samphire habitat. Within this, John searched a number of Wedgie nests knowing that Zebra Finches like to nest beneath eagle's nests and that they line their nests with feathers. And here is where the discovery took place, as John plucked out a small green feather that had been added to the lining of recently build nest. This feather was immediately sent to the Ron Johnstone and the lab at the Western Australian Museum, where it was tested and proved conclusively to belong to a Night Parrot.

John Young described the extraordinary discovery as follows:“Zebra Finches just love to build their nests in the base of a Wedge-tailed Eagle’s nest, so we walked over to investigate. Keith and I looked at many Zebra Finches’ nests before finally, an unmistakable small green feather appeared within the fresh base lining of one of the nests.People show excitement in many different ways, mine was to shake uncontrollably with numbing excitement and Keith’s was sheer disbelief with his hands holding his head. An incredibly emotional time for both of us.In my eyes there was no doubt that this was the feather of a Night Parrot and the fact that the Zebra Finches nest was fresh, it seemed feasible that it was collected within a few hundred metres in the past few weeks.”

Night Parrot feather

John & Keith at Wedge-tailed Eagle nest

So, what does this all mean? Well probably most dramatically, this conclusively redefines our understanding of basic Night Parrot ecology. As much mentioned above, the Night Parrot populations in Queensland and Western Australia are resident to old-growth and unburnt spinifex, however this new Kalamurina population of Lake Eyre is located within samphire with the nearest spinifex over 50 miles away. Additionally, following no (credible or supported) records of live Night Parrot for over a century implies both that perhaps the Night Parrot isn't as 'untwitchable' as once thought and that despite its exiguity this species clearly exists in several different locations across the continent, and in at least three states (discounting Northern Territory whilst Mark and Chris continue their research).

How can you help? AWC need your support continue their conservation efforts for not only the Night Parrot but for a number of critically endangered Australian animals. Visit their website and consider donating to this exceptional organisation today.

If you're interested in learning more about the Night Parrot, and the fashion of which this species saga has unfolded, I recommend visiting Greg Robert's blog Sunshine Coast Birds, which covers the entire discovery in some considerable (also somewhat controversial) detail.

Once again, considerable congratulations to John Young for his tireless efforts and unequalled skilled. His persistence and passion for discovery and conservation have granted him a well-deserved reputation as one of the countries greatest living naturalist. Best of luck to all his future endeavours!

It seems like the Night Parrot is well and truly out there. Go out and get looking, you never know what you might discover!

James Mustafa is a birder, wildlife enthusiast and self-confessed twitcher from Melbourne, Australia. A musician and composer by trade, he has been birding, exploring nature and appreciate wildlife for all his life. Since taking up a real fascination with birds, he has soared with tropicbirds in the Indian Ocean, chased owls in North America, danced with kiwi in New Zealand and twitched everything from gulls to leaf warblers across Australia.